On June 2 and 3, 2004 at its Washington, DC headquarters offices, IRG hosted a US Environmental Protection Agency-sponsored workshop for developers and manufacturers of Ventilation Air Methane Mitigation technologies.

These technologies are capable of oxidizing the very low concentrations of methane contained in underground coal mine ventilation air system exhausts. Although these flows contain methane at only very low concentrations, typically less than 1 percent, their volume is so great that ventilation air methane (VAM) actually constitutes the single greatest source of methane emissions to the atmosphere from gassy underground coal mines. Technologies that can successfully mitigate those emissions, therefore, either by simply oxidizing the methane (destruction only) or by oxidizing it and using the energy released to generate thermal energy or electrical power, may be able to benefit from a potentially large emission mitigation market worldwide, albeit one that is only nascent at this time.

To help foster development of that market, this workshop, which attracted participants from as far away as Australia, gave technology vendors an opportunity to describe their offerings, to hear from US regulators as to their concerns and requirements regarding mine safety aspects of employing VAM mitigation equipment at active coal mines, and to gain from coal mine operators insight into the operational realities associated with safely and productively integrating a VAM mitigation project with ongoing coal extraction activities.

In addition to hosting the workshop, H. Lee Schultz, IRG’s Director of Environmental Programs (Energy and Environmental Management Division) provided initial context for workshop discussions by presenting an overview of those underground coal-producing countries that appear to offer the best opportunities for VAM project development in the near term.

top